


Waking Up (Ash and Dust)

by emrys (livingshitpost)



Category: Big Hero 6 (2014), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Spoilers, Background Fred | Fredzilla/Wasabi-No Ginger/Tadashi Hamada, Background James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers - Freeform, Background Poly, Background Relationships, Big Brothers, Brother Feels, Brotherhood, Brotherly Angst, Brotherly Love, Brothers, Canonical Character Death, Disabled Character, Disabled Character of Color, Established Bucky Barnes/Steve Rogers, Established Relationship, Everything Hurts, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Little Brothers, M/M, Married Couple, No Incest, Non-Canonical Character Death, Not A Fix-It, Not Beta Read, Not Canon Compliant, Not Really Character Death, Physical Disability, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Prosthesis, Protective Older Brothers, Semi-Canonical Character, Swearing, Tadashi Hamada Lives, The Void
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-29
Updated: 2018-09-29
Packaged: 2019-07-20 07:00:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16132070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/livingshitpost/pseuds/emrys
Summary: This is it; the apocalypse.





	Waking Up (Ash and Dust)

**Author's Note:**

> events of bh6 were in 2014, story set in 2018. hiro is now 18 and tadashi is 25.

"Hey, Hiro," Tadashi called, struggling slightly with the cybernetic leg in front of him. "Gimme a hand with this."

"I've already given you, like, seven hands," Hiro responded with a smirk as he stood and crossed the room. "And that's not counting prototypes."

"Ha-ha, don't get sassy." His ankles and feet whirred as he adjusted his position on the floor. "Just hold this open for me."

"Can do." Hiro moved his hands in and did what his brother told him as he tightened the small bolts. "You heard from Stark lately?"

"Not really. Rhodes keep in touch, though, so that's good." He stuck out his tongue slightly. "He's been doing really well, but I'm gonna have to get him back here for routine maintenance soon. I just hope Tony hasn't been fucking with the braces too much."

"Y'think he'll swipe me some of his tech?"

"Probably not, but that depends. You want actual tech or scrap?"

Hiro scoffed. "As if I would want that jackass's scrap."

"I dunno, you got pretty excited when he brought you that mangled gauntlet."

"I was sixteen!"

"Yeah, and you promptly started to completely redesign my hand." Tadashi smiled. "There we go. Thanks, Hiro."

"No problem." Hiro pulled his hands away. "So who's this for?"

"Doctor-patient confidentiality, Hiro."

"Aw, c'mon, I do most of the work making these things."

"Sure you do."

"I made yours, didn't I?"

"You got us started, then I took over because you were fifteen."

"I'm not fifteen anymore." He rested his cheek on his fist, then smiled cheekily. "Is it 'cause he's cute?"

"If you think sixty-year-old men are cute, then yeah, he's cute."

Hiro snorted. "I didn't know you had a thing for older guys."

Tadashi gave his younger brother a look, sticking out his tongue, then went back to his work with a smile.

"You're gonna have to tell Wasabi and Fred you're leaving them both for one of your patients."

"I was thinking we could be a foursome."

Hiro pretended to gag. "Eugh, disgusting. Next. Never say that to me again."

"You kinda walked into it, doofus. You started the goof."

"Stop being right."

"Absolutely not."

Hiro blew a raspberry as he stood and went back to fiddling with the fingers of the tiny hand he was working on. He reached to his right for a screwdriver, but couldn't find it to be where he'd left it. He furrowed his brow and turned to look for it.

His hand was crumbling to ash.

His heart started to hammer in his chest. "T-Tadashi?"

"What's up?"

"'Dashi, I- I don't-"

Tadashi turned upon hearing Hiro's childhood nickname for him. He dropped the wire cutters in his hand. "Fuck, Hiro-"

"What's going on?"

"I-I dunno." He scrambled to his feet. "Hey, Hiro, hey. Listen, just-"

"'Dashi-"

"You're gonna be okay. You're gonna be fine, Hiro, just trust me." He reached for Hiro's other hand, only for it to fall apart and into the tiny metal joints of his fingers. He tried to ignore the way his stomach seemed to tie itself in knots at the sight, cupping Hiro's cheek in his right hand. "Look at me, nii-san." He tried to wipe away the tears already streaking down his cheeks with the pad of his thumb. "We're gonna fix this. _I'm_ gonna fix this."

Hiro threw his arms around his brother's neck. His chest started to dissolve at the impact.

Tadashi didn't know how long he sat there, coated in a thick layer of dust that had once been his little brother.

 

* * *

 

Bucky could hear someone crying.

The empty black space was filled with noises, he'd quickly learned. Babies wailing. Children yelling out for their mothers. Parents and lovers searching desperately for those they'd left behind. Birds squawking and animals shrieking. Everything was muffled, as though he'd stuck his head underwater.

But the crying he could hear clear as day.

Lacking anything else to do, he moved in the direction of the sound.

"Hello?" He called out. "Who's there?"

He didn't have his gun. A big part of him really,  _really_ wanted to have his gun.

He walked for a while, but eventually he found the source of the crying. A kid sat on the ground, hugging his knees and his head down. Bucky was hesitant at first, but didn't see too many other options. 

"You okay?"

The kid's head shot up as he scrambled backward. His eyes were red and puffy and his chest heaved as he stared at the man before him.

"W-who-" He wiped his nose on the sleeve of his hoodie. "Who are you?"

"James Buchanan Barnes," he responded without thinking. The kid gave him a funny look and he sighed. "My name's Bucky." He sat down on the sheer black surface that must have been the ground. "What about you?"

The kid sniffled, but seemed to relax a little. "H-Hiro. Hiro Hamada."

"How old are you?"

"I just turned eighteen. Are you-?"

"Yes, I'm  _that_ James Buchanan Barnes."

Hiro looked down, seeming to process the information. "Where are we?"

"I don't know."

"Are we dead?"

"I think so."

"Fuck." Hiro held his head in his hands. "Tadashi's gonna kill me."

"Tadashi?"

"My brother." He ran his hands down his face. "He's so protective, I just  _know_ he's gonna find a way to blame himself for this." He folded his arms and rested his face on his knees. "He's one of the smartest guys I know, but he can be so fucking dumb."

Bucky couldn't help but smile. "I know the feeling. My husband's the same way." He sighed and looked down at his hands. "But this isn't our fault. It isn't anyone's fault but Thanos's."

"Thanos?"

"Big guy, purple, looks like a toe- you wouldn't know him."

"Oh."

"Point is, however long we're stuck here, you shouldn't be spending that time blaming yourself. You didn't do anything wrong."

Hiro nodded slowly. He sniffled again, then wiped his eyes. "Thanks."

"No problem." Bucky stood. "I'm gonna see if I can find anyone else. Supposedly half the population of the universe is in here."

Hiro hesitantly got to his feet. "Can I tag along?"

Bucky raised an eyebrow.

"I-I don't wanna be alone."

Bucky sighed. "Alright," he said quietly. "C'mon."


End file.
